But it's Better if You Do
by maru-nyan
Summary: The word "calamity" would forever be etched into his very being; he carried it so he knew his sin. Yato prepared to walk alone in his path to be a new god, so when he met that girl...why couldn't he shake her? [SPOILERS FOR MANGA]
1. PUNISHMENT, REDEMPTION

**Hiya! **

**Maru-Nyan here with some more Noragami/Yatori. Man, I'm just so fascinated with Yato's origins and how he made it to being the type of god who could pull from the darkness and accept people's help, so this is what happened, of course there will be Yatori.**

**This first chapter is more of set-up, so no Yatori just yet. Yato had demons and he's always been so sheltered and never let anyone in, so I wanted to take a look at that struggle.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NORAGAMI**

* * *

[**PART I- PUNISHMENT;REDEMPTION**]

The years have taught Yato that the most beautiful of things always coincide with the worst. He's learned that love- false love- can be used for manipulation. He's been a different person entirely and it has been a journey to get where he is now. He's so tired and in his heart of hearts he knows that he's lost a part of himself, or rather, that since that day- when Sakura learned of her name and he had to kill her- that his heart hardened and became wracked with guilt; he's irrevocably haunted.

On that day, a shift occurred and slowly, almost invisibly, cracks started to form in his life until it completely broke apart.

* * *

Once you see something, it's hard to go back to the time when you didn't see the truth. The introduction of Sakura into his life was both a blessing and a curse he supposes…for many reasons.

His world no longer consisted of the island that was his home with Father and Hiiro. The horizon was no longer the limit, and instead Yato savored the invitation to keep chasing it. He got to go into the village and he saw how people exchanged currency to get something; he gave Sakura a flower to apologize for stealing- stealing was bad, he told himself. Yato was able to play with other children, and although they forgot him after a while, they were always inviting and gave him smiles.

He loved her in the way that he supposes he would if he were a normal human. She was the being that nurtured him and gave him warmth and understanding; she was like a "mother". She looked at him like he wasn't a weapon- although she had seen what he could do- and asked how he was feeling and how his day had been. Father only ever asked how his skills were and how many ears he had collected- and only for that did he receive praise.

Sakura gave him a new name- she had misread his- but he went along with it and he believed that maybe he could be this "Yato" and make her smile. Her hugs provided a warm comfort that seemed to fill something hollow within him. His days with her were vibrant and he looked forward to when he'd see her, but nothing went unseen by Father.

It got hard to "play" as usual. His hands shook and he couldn't stop staring at the eyes of those that asked for his mercy. He pictured Sakura and her disappointed face and remembered when she said with tears streaming down her face, "Killing is wrong!"

Something had changed. He had changed. He didn't want to disappoint Sakura, but he also wanted to please Father. If it weren't for him, he would never have existed. He needed to kill, more, so much more so he would never be able to tell there was something wrong. He needed Father to be proud of him, but that meant Sakura would hate him.

He couldn't make them both happy. He was lying to everyone trying to be two different people. He just couldn't do it. It was a constant battle in his head.

"How many today, Yaboku? ….that's my boy."

"_Killing is wrong!"_

"You're a god- you can take whatever you want."

"_Master Yato, you use money if you want something."_

"Yaboku."

"_Master Yato."_

YABOKU._ MASTER YATO. _YABOKU._ MASTER YATO. _YABOKU._ MASTER YATO. _YABOKU._ MASTER YATO._

Just who was he?

* * *

The more that Yato wanted to run towards the horizon and be that other version of himself, the more he realized that he was trapped. The whip marks on Hiiro's back served as a reminder that others would suffer for his new attitude.

For the briefest moment, he felt disgust when Father said, "If something is wrong, it must be coming from the inside."

"I'm doing this for you, Yaboku. I don't want anything to hurt you," Father said with a smile that he once thought kind, but Yato could now see the cracks and emptiness behind it.

He wanted to make his Father proud, but there was also a feeling of trepidation that Yato began to feel towards him.

* * *

Things couldn't remain the way they were and they didn't. Sakura met Hiiro when Yato was cleaning her wounds in the river and when they went back to their home, that was when Hiiro mentioned it.

"Have you ever wondered why you died or what your real name was?"

* * *

Despite the loud voice in his head, he said it: "Tamano_**ne**_."

She had been kind, beautiful, and everything good, that was until he tarnished her, until he turned her into a monster and had to erase her. Father had found them when she had begun to transform and Yato realized that the only thing he could do was kill her.

He took it all from her. She had the possibility of living a life as a shinki- as a shinki she could still be considered living at least- but his naiveté caused him to utter her name and he had to stop what he had made her. One slash and she would be nothing; all he gave her was darkness.

After she disappeared, he released Hiiro and cursed himself as he looked down at his hands. It was in that moment that he realized how terrible his power and deeds truly were. His eyes stung with the need to cry, but he wouldn't do it while Father watched. His throat felt tight and raw as he held back his tears. His eyes slightly widened when Father placed his hand upon his head.

"You still have me Yaboku. I'll never leave you."

Yato wanted to laugh bitterly because he found no comfort in the words. Those words could not quell the ache and emptiness he currently felt. He had stolen her life, her happiness and tarnished her. He would never be able to forgive himself for this. Sakura, who was warm and full of life was no more...and it was all his fault.

...

His heart grew colder from then on. He didn't stray from his Father's side and would always "play", but it was like he was on autopilot. He felt so cold.

* * *

As time went on, Yato became more detached and quiet. The feelings towards his Father weakened. He didn't care for his praise and Hiiro's company became suffocating. He wanted to be referred to by his new name. Hiiro complied with an icy tone, but Father did not.

At his prime, Yato was greatly feared and oddly enough, one day a shinki came asking him for help to kill all his clan.

He accepted and got two things in return for completing the job. The master, Bishamon, pledged a vendetta against him. He didn't mind it, he wanted to be hated. Yato also gained the support of the shinki and he couldn't understand it.

Kazuma- that was his name- wasn't good at going by inconspicuously and Yato would always see him leaving things for him. How long would this continue?

The oddest thing he had received from Kazuma had been a small blade. It puzzled him and he couldn't understand what need he would have for a common weapon when he had a shinki.

That blade got him thinking though, and the smothering feeling of the quiet of his home with Father finally took its toll. He decided to get away; he just walked away one day with only that blade in hand.

* * *

His wandering lead him to interesting places and he met more gods and received unusual requests.

He had met another shinki who had asked him for help to cut his ties. Yato could see the blight coming over him. He had nothing though, only his blade, but he wanted to do something. So, he made a sweeping motion cutting some of the small ayakashi clinging to the shinki and said he had completed the job. He wasn't sure why he lied, but it seemed to do what was needed. When Yato came back to the same location, a part of him felt glad that the shinki and his master had put themselves together.

As the years went on, he continued to visit and watch over them until they noticed and slowly, they opened their home up to him. He had a place to breathe. He liked the master, she was Kofuku- god of poverty- and she was almost as much a mess as he was. She caused bad luck wherever she went and she didn't let it get her down. She was strong and had Daikoku. The steadfast loyalty that he had for his lady made something within Yato burn- he realized it was yearning.

* * *

As Yato saw more of the world, that burning feeling only intensified. He tired of meaningless wandering and he wanted to do something. He also found that he was pretty lonely.

It took a lot within him to pick up another shinki again. When he would look at the crimson characters, his eyes would play tricks on him and he'd believe that the name would become tarnished. He couldn't escape what he did, but he wanted to honor Sakura in some way. Yato decided to class his shinki by names ending in "Ne", for Sakura and the name he should have never spoken, "Tamano_**ne**_"

* * *

Yato had received many years of freedom, so much so that he stopped thinking of his Father, but he should have known, he was never truly free. Nora would come to visit and give him Father's requests. He'd disappear for a time because of them and by the time that he came back, most of Yato's shinki wanted to be released. His life was currently being interrupted and he was always left behind, but Yato wanted to do something. He wanted to be a different type of god. He wanted to become the god Sakura believed he could be.

Yato began to dream of the horizon once more. He wanted to obtain a powerful shinki and for it to become a blessed regalia. He wanted a shrine and followers. In all this time, he still had Kazuma helping him from the "shadows". He couldn't understand why since his debt had long been paid, but...the help was comforting nonetheless.

The horizon would come soon in the form of a girl. She was something he never expected. Her name was _**Hiyori**_.

* * *

**Well, Yato meets Hiyori next chapter and we'll get to see how she makes an impact.**

**Thanks for reading, I'll try to be consistent with updating. Review? ;)**


	2. WORLD'S COLLIDE, REACTION

**Hey there!**

**Sorry this update took a while. Anyway, this chapter is some re-hashing of the beginning of Noragami with some Yato introspection, but I think it is important to get Yato's first impression of Hiyori. Next chapters will have more original material mixed in with manga material. So tell me what you think, okay? ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NORAGAMI. **

* * *

[**PART II- WORLD'S COLLIDE; REACTION**]

Not too long ago, Yato awoke from his dream. His world that had turned two-dimensional and grayscale had gained depth once more. Maybe it was that word- "save"- and maybe it was the aftermath of fulfilling that shinki's wish, but for once his deeds had not resulted in total destruction and he couldn't shake that feeling.

All he had ever known was what his Father had taught him...and then Sakura taught him something different, but now he wanted to find out for himself what was right and what he was capable of doing.

All he had ever known was killing, but that couldn't be all he was good at; he wanted to prove it.

* * *

Yato had always been a curious child and he supposes that it was his curiosity that had always led him down a more difficult path. He was driven and once that spark was ignited, he'd move forward, but it became hard to move forward when unforeseen factors came up.

_He'd chosen a difficult path. How many gods of calamity had changed their ways and been recognized?_

His Father and Nora were something that he was bound to, and despite the distance he created, they were a constant voice in his head telling him to return. That voice always appeared when Yato was at his weakest and it served to crack the earth beneath his feet.

Despite his outward appearance and the smiles he'd put on for Kofuku or even his shinki, he always held doubts and he was anxious because he was fighting against a clock. Father was allowing him this freedom and Yato needed to make something of himself so that he could no longer be bound to them.

It was like starting from zero; Yato had nothing and he tried to make connections, but he couldn't get his message across. Shinki would leave and he'd make a big show and tell them how they'd regret leaving such an "awesome master", but then he'd just smile as he release them. Every time a shinki left, he realized that he was lacking. He didn't have authority and there were also those times when he would leave suddenly- to help Father and appease him. His life was unstable and those shinki deserved stability.

His life was made up of constant interruptions and his sake bottle that housed all his earnings rang with emptiness. When the night would settle in and he'd lay with his back on his bench-yeah... he liked to think it was his- he realized that at five yen per job he'd have a long way to go.

The shrine and followers he dreamt of, it all seemed rather greedy, but they were just an added bonus. What he wanted was to be someone that did more than destroy, he wanted to create something... but then he thought of his Father.

"_You have no need for a shrine...you have me, Yaboku."_

_Like molding wet sand, whatever he could make would dry out and fall apart. _

He wondered if he made the right choice. He would not exist if it was not for his Father. He knew that truth...he resented and feared it.

* * *

Yato had once found an abandoned book on the floor and out of pure curiosity and also the fact that he didn't have anything to, he picked it up and flipped through the pages. It was then that something stuck out to him, a line in the book that kept being repeated over and over: "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." *****

He had thought that they were pretty words, but they seemed to ring empty in that moment and they stung. He was a god of calamity and that's all he had ever known: destruction, manipulation, and loss. What he wanted...he didn't think the universe would grant it for him, but he still held onto those words.

* * *

The cycle of Yato's life: gaining a new shinki, doing jobs for Father, doing jobs with his shinki, having his shinki leave, and then being on his own- it was suddenly interrupted by something that Yato could not control.

From the beginning, Yato felt it...a pull and a buzzing that surrounded her. She woke up a part of him that laid dormant… it was her eyes and how they seemed to burn with conviction and honesty. It was hard, but against his better judgement, Yato reacted to her existence and then there was no turning back.

* * *

From the start, her existence was unsettling. With Tomone's recent departure, going through the town felt eerily silent- he was like a ghost to the world and he tried to fill it with his own noise to drown out the doubts that lingered.

Silence was deafening and as if someone had heard his innermost thoughts, one day he was finally noticed and his breath caught in his throat. Red violet eyes met his own and embarrassment prickled at his skin when he realized he probably looked a bit odd calling out in the crowd as he looked for a boy's cat.

Her eyes did not look past or through him and there was a reassurance in that. '_I still exist.'_ Although...he wondered why this human could see him when no one else could. Did she have a wish?

His eyes slightly strayed when he found the cat named Majesty. Yato could still feel her gaze on him as he rushed out into the street to claim the cat and his skin prickled. He failed to notice the bus that was coming his way; he only felt her hands on his back and a push.

_That was the catalyst._

* * *

Things seemed to be moving too fast for his mind to comprehend. He'd been seen by a human, and being the only one to notice him, she had gone out of her way to save him. He was a stranger and a god who would have been unharmed, but she did not know that, and yet he felt surprise and an overwhelming warmth.

Something unusual had occurred. The girl sat on the ground before him and lectured him about pedestrian safety, but he could hear voices calling out a name and a crowd forming around a body in front of the bus; there were two of this girl. The one in front of him vanished before he could try to tell her anything and he watched as the ambulance came and took her body.

He lingered on that same sidewalk and looked at the street until he decided that he should go check up on her; her soul had split from her body. Sighing, he remembered that the cat had gotten away; he'd have to look for it later.

* * *

_"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction"_

Yato managed to catch up to the ambulance and he waited outside the building until those that were visiting the girl were gone. When he finally managed to talk to her alone, he noticed the slow recognition of who he was dawn upon her and his smile suddenly felt tight; she'd forget him completely soon enough.

The accident had given her a few interesting abilities, but for the most part she seemed fine. She was alive- he was thankful that "saving" him hadn't resulted badly. She saved him and he made sure she was alright, they were even now. As he prepared to leave she began to ask him questions and he didn't bother to answer because there was no point. They wouldn't be meeting again and she'd go back to her human life.

Except they did…and she still remembered him.

Oddly enough, as Yato faced the frog-looking ayakashi and felt the tug on his hand, he couldn't think of anyone else it could be, but her. Majesty trembled beneath his jersey jacket and Yato was starting to feel fatigue weighing on his body, but he couldn't stop himself from looking at this girl and asking 'Why?'

Why was she here? How did she find him? Why did she still remember him...and briefly seeing a swish of purple, 'Why was she in her phantom form again?'

This girl was stubborn. She'd managed to still remember him and had found him through the cat. Words were stuck in his throat and he wanted to tell her to leave, but then the ayakashi found them again and he just watched in wonder as she kicked it into unconsciousness. He could see her knees tremble slightly afterwards and he felt his lip twitch upwards, but he tried to hold it back.

He couldn't understand the situation. She came back and saved him again and he didn't know what to do with her. Her questions wouldn't stop and he didn't want any attachments. He'd screwed up when he went to visit her and had only ignited her curiosity, but he needed to draw that line again.

"Your phantom slipped out," he said drawing away from all of her questions. Shock filled her eyes as she turned to look at her tail and she asked, "What am I supposed to do?"

Shrugging and wanting to leave- her presence made his body prickle uncomfortably- "Nothing to do...might as well get used to it."

Her brow wrinkled and she grimaced, "Please there has to be something that I can do. Save-"

Her words cut off and she disappeared once again, probably into her body. He sighed and his chest felt tight. It was that word, it was this girl... she had saved him and a heavy feeling in his chest lingered. Tightening his fists, he went to go look for her body and he decided he'd help her.

_He'd grant her wish and then they'd be done_, _this was just for her saving him again._

The words felt empty. Ever since he'd met this girl...ever since he met Hiyori he'd felt something inescapable. She was unpredictable and had remembered him and something about that made him feel that he couldn't write her off even if he wanted to.

Maybe it was too late already. He'd sealed a promise to her in the form of a wish and whether he liked it or not, they were already tied together- god and a half-phantom girl...what an odd pair they made.

...

Ties had been formed, and Hiyori...well, she'd make sure to double knot them.

* * *

******* This is a quote from Paulo Coelho's book, _The Alchemist. _It's really a lovely book that encourages you to go after your dreams. Re-reading it, I found that a lot of quotes made me think of Yato and Hiyori, and I could not resist, haha.**

**Thanks for reading. ^~^**


	3. FOLLOWER, BECKONING CAT

**Hi there! Man, it's been so long since I've updated and I'm really sorry for that. March was just a really tough month and my laptop had some issues, but now I'm back.**

**-I wanted to say thanks to all of the GUESTS- and of course all of you that have followed and favorited ;)- who have read and commented on this, I wish I was able to contact each of you, but really thanks so much for the kind words.**

**-Also, I know Yato has a flip phone at the beginning of Noragami and then later he has a smartphone, so I'm just making it that he has always had a smartphone (If you read Gekkan Shojo manga, I feel like chapter 61 right now and it's so funny).**

**-This chapter contains some headcanons and I've changed a few things, but nothing too drastic. Next chapters will get into more serious territory. Also, I know I said this story would be a few chapters, but now I'm just going with the flow, so we'll see how it goes.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NORAGAMI**

**P.S. Did you guys read chapter 53? Ah man, my second Noragami ship feels!**

**( FFNet does not let me do the "at" symbol so instead I'll be using "**")**

* * *

[**PART III- FOLLOWER; BECKONING CAT**]

"Um...Hiyori...what is this?"

"Your...shinki?"

Sighing, Yato looked up at the ayakashi and then back at the girl who currently wrung her hands together. He sighed, "You know Hiyori...there's a difference between ayakashi and shiki. And this," he said as he pointed to the globular monster, "...is an ayakashi."

Her brows rose and she let out a high pitched, "Eh?!"

The ayakashi moved at her high-pitched tone and he grabbed her wrist. "You better run if you want to live."

She quickened her pace and he sighed out, "You did this all because I said I needed a shinki, huh?" Before she could respond, he added, "Well, there's not much I can do right now since I don't have one."

They continued to run and he couldn't help but think that she was either reckless- more so than himself and yes...he'd admit he was reckless, but only internally- or she was just really proactive and dedicated on fixing her condition. Ah, that's right! Looking at her tail that swished behind her, he remembered that he still had to tell her something...and it would only make her freak out more about her phantasmal condition.

That was when his keen eyes saw it. It looked like a white speck- like snow descending upon the earth. Surprisingly, it was an untainted spirit. A teen...that was troublesome, but he had no choice. He claimed the shinki and told Hiyori to gain some distance from the ayakashi and himself.

Images flooded his mind and as he held the naked blade in his hand and looked at the hilt that was wrapped in bandages, for a moment he saw them stained red- bandages trying to hide the evidence and bruises hid under long sleeves. He blinked and the images was gone, but his throat felt raw and his hands shook slightly.

He took a breath and made his advance.

* * *

They say that lives are made up of encounters that form a person's path. Meetings between individuals are like a mosaic. Every encounter adds a new piece to the mosaic- some pieces are larger and colors vary, but it comes together.

Gods often talk of fate and destiny, and Yato is no different...but he thinks that the world is currently playing a joke on him because since meeting one human, he hasn't been able to catch his breath. He is the god, and yet he's running around trying to keep up with a half-phantom human girl. It's laughable, and yet here he is and he can't help but wonder once again if she is reckless or just really motivated.

…...

"Were you paying attention, Yato?"

He'd been rolling a toothpick between his teeth when he heard her voice and his thoughts were interrupted. Ruffling his hair and feeling bad for having ignored her for so long, he gave her his attention and took the toothpick from his mouth. Huffing, she responded, "I was telling you that I thought of a good way for you to maybe get some more jobs."

Yato looked over at her and then just off to her side at Yukine. The boy was eating vigorously from the bentos she'd brought over- and in hindsight Yato thought that maybe they were bribes so he'd finally nail him down to ask how he was planning on fixing her. The blond shinki looked up, their gazes briefly locked and the boy wrinkled his nose in distaste. Yato felt both insulted and devastated- if he thought getting his previous shinki to obey him was an arduous task, well the difficulty level had just increased. Yukine was a teen in that rebellious stage after all….dammit.

When he looked at Hiyori once again, she had a smile on her face that indicated that she had seen the exchange and felt bad. Yato grimaced and grabbed the other bento and dug in feverishly,"So what did you have in mind?" he asked with food filling his mouth.

There was a brief silence and blinking, she said, "Let me see your smartphone."

"Why?" he asked dragging out the word as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She already had his number and called quite often nagging him to fix her condition, so he really didn't want to hand it over and see what she would do with it.

She laughed and put up her hands, "Come on, I'm not going to do anything bad!"

"How?"

"W-what?"

"How are you going to get me more jobs?"

Her eyes seemed to gleam then and she replied, "Twitter."

The name seemed familiar and so he pulled out his phone from his jersey pocket, unlocked it, and handed it over hesitantly."We'll make you an account and you can make posts. If you link them with certain hashtags, people will be able to see them and then maybe you'll get more jobs."

Yato leaned back onto the shrine steps- they were currently at Tenjin's place and something about using the old man's place to lounge brought a wicked smile to Yato's face- and closed his eyes as Hiyori began to tap away at the screen keys.

Truthfully, he hadn't been sleeping too well these past few nights. When he had first come to this shrine with Yukine, he had stayed up and waited for Yukine to go to sleep. Yukine didn't like the dark and Yato understood the fear he felt, and so sometimes he'd just ramble so Yukine could hear a voice. Yato understood... if Yukine hated the dark, then Yato hated silence- it was suffocating, consuming...and lonely.

When Yukine would fall asleep, then Yato would follow. The brat was ungrateful, but still... Yato chose him and when he claimed Yukine he supposes he made a promise: he would not forsake him. They were both so similar and their pain had the same source.

He'd decided on that and so now he had this shinki and girl for company. He didn't really know how he felt about it...it wasn't bad, but he still didn't know what to do about Hiyori.

He had told her that he couldn't do anything without a shinki as an excuse, but now that he had one, what could he say? Both she and Yukine knew he was an unconventional god- Yukine was just a bit more vocal about it and Yato felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation.

He didn't understand it. When they met, he didn't have a shrine or shinki and recklessly she had gone to look for a shinki instead of giving up on him. He knew it...he knew that he was lacking and so he wondered...how much longer until she would realize it and leave?

It was a matter of time...the tapping he heard now would only be from his fingers. Things would be like they always were. He was a god suited to be alone.

'_You are a god who only knows how to take- remember that, Yaboku.'_

'But, _I accept you as you are.'_

The tapping of phone keys continued and he could hear Hiyori and Yukine talking. Something the boy said made her laugh and the constant noise- a steady tapping and melodious, light laugh- was lulling him to sleep when he felt a sharp sting on his nape. He shot up and Hiyori turned to him in surprise. Yato turned to Yukine and noticed the pink dusting his cheeks.

"You know Yukine...god and shinki are linked. If you think something inappropriate or do something bad, I'll know."

The boy's face reddened and he didn't make a response. Hiyori seemed confused and he looked at the shinki once more. He was a teenager and his hormones were running rampant, the thought that this would happened often made him feel awkward and that he was attracted to Hiyori...well…

"Hiyori! You know men are beasts, right?" He saw the boy jump.

She cocked her head to the side in thought and then responded, "Well, my mother always told me that...and that there were people in society who were lazy and useless," she smiled at the last part and Yukine chortled.

Yato grit his teeth getting the hint, "Well don't be so open then!"

"What?"

"Nevermind." Seriously though, he hadn't thought about it, but this girl seemed to be perfectly at ease with them...he decided she was too carefree. Nodding to himself, he decided that's what it was.

"Anyway, I finished," she said as she shoved his phone into his face.

He looked at his profile with a scrunitizing eye and then asked, "Hiyori...how come you're making me sound so desperate?"

A smile quickly spread on her face and she covered her mouth trying to stifle her laughter, but off to her side, Yukine laughed without remorse.

"It suits you doesn't it, Yato?" said Yukine.

Yato got up and tried to grab at Yukine with Hiyori in between them and she just laughed. He stilled as he watched her and then she turned to look at him and said, "I'm your first follower, just so you know."

His breath stilled and he choked out a, "W-what?"

She grabbed his phone and made some swipes and then motioned to the screen. "See, that's me. I'm your first follower and I've also made it so that you can follow me."

He grabbed at his phone and then looked at her picture. He started laughing when he saw a super muscled, shirtless man. "Why do you have this as your picture, everyone is going to think that you're this guy."

Yukine got up and then looked over Yato's shoulder, "Who is that Hiyori?"

"That's the great Touno! Master mixed martial artist. No one would think that's me. I just put it because I'm a fan!"

"Kind of creepy having that dude for your picture."

Yukine nodded in reply and she puffed her cheeks and pulled out her smartphone and began swiping at the screen. Moments later his phone vibrated and he saw her new updated picture.

"Better," he muttered.

She nodded vigorously and then looking at her phone, said, "My mom is going to be home early today so I should get going."

He nodded and Yukine saw her off. He watched as her back disappeared and muttered, "First follower, huh? ...wouldn't that be nice."

It was a nice _thought_.

Looking back at his phone screen he looked at his own picture and quirked a brow, "A crown, huh?"

"What?" said Yukine as he joined his side.

"Nothing...let's go into town to find some work."

"Seriously!?"

"You've got to work to eat, Yukine."

"Says the god who gets his food from a teenage girl."

His lips thinned and then he gave Yukine a push to move forward, "Don't make it sound so weird!"

* * *

The day had been unproductive and they returned when night fell to the shrine. Yukine tried to make himself comfortable on the concrete in front of the shrine while he grumbled. Yato tried to pay no attention to the, 'What kind of god has no shrine?' that was constantly being uttered, and sat a bit ways off from Yukine.

"Yukine," he whispered. The boy only mumbled in response. "You cold?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Got to sleep...I'll be here," he said and then laid on his back. He pulled out his phone. It had been buzzing in his jersey jacket earlier and pulling it out, he could see that his Twitter account had sent him notifications. There was only one person he followed, so he scanned through the messages.

The first went something a bit like this: _**Touno's arm lock right out of a fireman's carry gets the win! #GreatTouno #GodTouno.**_

Touno...the guy she had as her picture...looking at the last hashtag on that post, Yato narrowed his eyes and harrumphed.

The second message caught his attention: ******_**Yato** look who I saw today! #Majesty **_

It was followed by a picture of Majesty in the front yard of a home.

A smile crept up to his face and his fingers were already typing a response, when he stopped and locked his phone screen.

He felt his phone vibrate once more and touched the screen with his fingertips, but didn't unlock it. Each vibration was a link to her world, a link to her and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know more about her...or rather he felt that someone like him didn't deserve to, but still he looked at the notification light blinking on his phone.

Unforeseen variables were introduced into his life and he wasn't sure if they fit- he wasn't sure if they would be allowed to fit. It was best to keep things simple. He was a god and he'd do things at his own pace; he couldn't lose sight of his goal.

He wondered how to turn Twitter notifications off and laid his phone by his side, and then closed his eyes preparing for sleep to take him.

_Post saved as draft: ******__**Hiyori** I think I'm a better god-**_

She was a beckoning cat of sorts and things were starting to change...piece by piece the mosaic was coming together.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Leave a review to let me know what you think- no flames please. Until next time, which hopefully won't be too far away, but I really appreciate all of you guys! **


End file.
